


the best of you, honey, belongs to me

by alittlebitoftheuniverse



Series: Rose!verse fics [1]
Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Established Relationship, Married Couple, Mild D/S elements, Other, Rose!verse, Teasing, Trans Male Character, Vaginal Sex, post-heist sex, they're just married thieves in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:48:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27692363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alittlebitoftheuniverse/pseuds/alittlebitoftheuniverse
Summary: Anais Squire's new piece is being unveiled for the first time. People all across the galaxy have come to see their jewelry. Socialites, dignitaries, stream stars.And Duke and Dahlia Rose.
Relationships: Duke Rose/Dahlia Rose
Series: Rose!verse fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025146
Comments: 5
Kudos: 64





	the best of you, honey, belongs to me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [quantumoddity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/quantumoddity/gifts).



> This is a birthday present for my lovely girlfriend quantumoddity and she encouraged me to post it. Love you, sweetheart!
> 
> Just a small note: Duke Rose is a trans man. I kept the language for his downstairs business pretty vague, but he does get penetrated, as a heads up. If that makes you uncomfortable, of course that's completely fine, take care of yourself!!

Dahlia can see the whole ballroom from the upstairs balcony. There are dozens of people milling around, laughing and chatting and surrounded by waiters with drinks and hors d’oeuvres while they wait for the unveiling. People have come from across the solar system to Europa to see the newest creation of the mysterious jeweler Anais Squire. The fact that the mysterious jeweler has finally come out of retirement is almost as big a topic of gossip as the appearance of the new piece itself. Or so Dahlia’s been told, but he’s never considered himself an expert in fine jewelry.

Or wine, for that matter, but whatever’s in the glass that’s been pressed into his hand tastes fantastic. The view of the man beside him doesn’t hurt matters either.

“Enjoying yourself, my darling?” Duke hums, fingers trailing along the balcony and over Dahlia’s arm. “They say the unveiling is going to be quite spectacular.”

“That is what they say,” Dahlia grins, catching those long clever fingers between his own. “Apparently, the jeweler’s not been seen in public in decades, long enough that no one can remember a piece of their work. It’s not likely they’ll make an appearance tonight.”

“How interesting,” Duke smirks, taking a drink from his own glass. He’s dressed up tonight, even more so than usual. Dahlia has half a mind to rip the suit off him right there. But that would be unprofessional. They can at least wait until after the ball.

“So, where were you?” Dahlia hums, taking a sip of Duke’s wine just to taste the difference from his husband’s glass. “You left me alone at the gala of the century.”

“Oh, my darling, my apologies,” Duke coos, pressing kisses to Dahlia’s knuckles. “They have card tables in the next room over, and you know I never could resist a gamble…”

Dahlia snorts, leaning back against Duke’s chest. “You cad. Abandoning your wife to play cards while we could have been dancing.”

“You hate dancing,” Duke chuckles, hands trailing down Dahlia’s sides. “But perhaps I can make it up to you, hm? I promise, I won’t leave your side for the rest of the night. Besides, I’m afraid the other players are quite angry with me, they accused me of cheating, if you can believe it…”

“Oh, god,” Dahlia groaned. “Duke, you didn’t really piss off a bunch of card sharps, did you?”

“Of course not, my sweet flower, I just-” He breaks off as his dark, clever eyes catch on something behind Dahlia, and then he’s disappeared, just before a gaggle of people stride past them, muttering in angry voices. Dahlia can just catch one of them growl about making someone pay as they disappear around the corner. He rolls his eyes tiredly, looking around for his husband.

But he isn’t there. Dahlia bites his lip uncertainly, gaze flickering down the hallway. “Duke!” he hisses in frustration, and his eyes widen when he hears him laughing. He turns quickly, but he isn’t behind him either. “Duke, goddammit,” he scowls. “Where the hell did you go?”

The only answer he gets is another fond chuckle. That and the feeling of two cool, slender hands wrapping around his thighs. Dahlia freezes, bending nearly in half to lift his voluminous skirts, barking out a laugh of his own when he sees a pair of shiny stiletto heels. “You…oh my god, how did you get under my skirts, you idiot?”

The smirk is evident in Duke’s voice when he answers. “I have had some practice at this, my flower. And your skirts make an excellent hiding place, I don’t know why I’ve never taken advantage of them before.”

“Probably because it’s ridiculous!” Dahlia sighs. “Come on, they’re gone, you can come out.”

Duke’s response is to press closer to Dahlia’s legs, pressing a languid kiss to the inside of his thigh. There’ll be a perfect lipstick mark there when he looks later, Dahlia’s certain. “Duke,” he murmurs, gripping the balcony railing. “Come on, we have to finish the job…”

“I know, my darling,” Duke purrs. “And I have every intention of finishing it well. But can’t a man stop to admire his wife for a few moments?” He presses another kiss to Dahlia’s skin, on the edge of his silk panties, and Dahlia’s breath catches in his throat as Duke’s nose brushes just gently against his cock.

Before he has time to say anything, to tell him to stop or maybe to breathlessly demand more from him, Duke pulls away, slipping back out from under the skirts as silently as he disappeared under them to begin with, giving Dahlia a sharp-toothed, lipstick-smudged smile.

“Come, my love,” he says brightly, offering Dahlia his arm. “Let’s get good seats for the unveiling, shall we?”

They do find decent seats as the crowds start to gather, chattering eagerly about what they think the latest Anais Squire piece might look like. No one has seen it yet, after all, as Duke informs Dahlia in a hushed whisper, playing along with the excited group surrounding them.

There’s a sudden quiet as the lights dim, save for one spotlight illuminating the covered case in the middle of the room, surrounded by red rope to keep the crowd away. A woman steps forward, thanking them all for coming, apologizing for the absence of Mx. Squire themself, assuring them that they send their regards.

“And now, for the moment you’ve all come here for,” she smiles, stepping aside and sweeping the velvet covering away with a flourish.

A gasp stirs up among the crowd almost immediately, soft murmurs filling the room. The case itself is a work of art, intricately carved mahogany and polished glass. Inside sits a cushion of red silk, looking impossibly soft to the touch, perfectly made to cradle a necklace, Anais Squire’s latest masterpiece.

But it isn’t there.

The murmurs grow louder, turning into outraged shouts. One socialite even faints, collapsing back into the rows of chairs. There are the sounds of alarms, of the security guards barking orders into their comms, to lock the building down, to search the grounds. Within seconds, the entire gala is torn apart, guests being searched, every nook and cranny explored for any sign of the missing necklace.

But by that time, Duke and Dahlia Rose are far away.

~

Duke is laughing breathlessly as they reach their hotel room, though it breaks off into a gasp when Dahlia pressed him back against the door, leaning up to kiss his neck. He doesn’t waste any time being gentle, sucking marks into his skin, grazing with his teeth to make Duke give that soft, shuddering cry he loves so much.

“That’s it, honey,” he smirks, hands slipping under Duke’s suit jacket, gripping his waist. “You’re needy for someone who was being such a tease earlier…”

“Just wanted you,” Duke whines, high and sweet, and Dahlia laughs, drawing away, taking Duke’s hands and pulling him back to the bed.

“Get undressed,” he hums, perching on the edge of the mattress. “And I have a present for you, handsome.”

Duke obeys quickly, he always does. He’s so eager to be good that he doesn’t even pick the pieces of his suit up off the floor. Dahlia holds up his hand before Duke can get his underwear off and he freezes immediately.

“You’re not in trouble,” Dahlia soothes, getting to his feet. “I’m just admiring how pretty you look. And you can have your present now.”

Duke perches on the bed obediently, eyes wide as Dahlia reaches into the pocket of his skirts, drawing out a necklace, glittering in the low light.

“I thought it would look nice on you,” Dahlia murmurs, leaning down to fasten the clasp around Duke’s neck. “it’s an Anais Squire original, you know.”

“I’ve heard.” The reply that he gets is more breath than word, and he’s trembling gently as the jewels rest against his throat. “Oh, _Dahlia_ …”

Dahlia leans down, kissing him deeply before standing back to admire the view of Duke sprawled back against the soft hotel sheets, scarlet corset and black lace panties, complete with a garter belt and stockings. “You really dressed up for tonight, didn’t you, honey? Wonder what you were planning for…”

“For this,” Duke sighs, arching his back slightly, tilting his head until he can peer back at Dahlia hopefully. “Please, darling…”

For all his teasing, Dahlia has never been good at denying Duke anything, not when he asks so sweetly. So he doesn’t waste any time shimmying out of his damned ballgown, pretending not to hear Duke laughing when he gets up to help him with the zipper. It takes too long to cast the dress aside, but eventually it’s done and he’s free to clamber into bed, pressing Duke’s arms over his head with one hand and kissing him languidly as he lines their hips up. From there, it’s barely any effort at all to press into him slowly, relishing in his delighted moan.

“That’s it, honey,” Dahlia breathes, pressing kisses along his sharp jaw as he starts to roll his hips evenly. “God, you’re so good for me, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Duke’s voice breaks. “Yes, always for you, my Dahlia, only for you…”

Dahlia can’t help a laugh at that, gripping Duke’s thigh in his free hand and guiding it over his shoulder as they start to move faster. The only sound in the dark room is the rhythmic creaking of the mattress under them, the thumping of the headboard against the wall, and their gasping, desperate breathing into each other’s mouths after it took too much effort to keep actually kissing.

It’s over too soon, it always is. Dahlia privately thinks that they could go on like this for days and he’d still feel it was too early when they finished. Duke comes with a throaty cry, head tipped back against the pillows and exposing his lovely long throat for Dahlia to nip at as he follows him with a low growl.

The afterglow has always been Duke’s favorite part, and he readily admits it. Dahlia rolls them over so that Duke can rest on his broad chest, running his hands over his husband’s silky hair. “How you feeling, handsome?”

“Wonderful,” Duke sighs dreamily, boneless against him. “Love of my life, my darling Dahlia…”

Dahlia chuckles, holding him closer. “Go to sleep, Duke. We have to be offplanet before sunrise.”

Duke makes an unhappy noise at that, rolling to bury his face in the crook of Dahlia’s neck, but he settles quickly. “I love you, darling…”

Dahlia smiles, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “I love you too, silly man. Have sweet dreams.”


End file.
